Alameda County loses $72.3 million in food stamps program, new study finds

By Emma Rae Lierley
As many communities brace themselves for the economic fallout of the worst drought in California’s recorded history, and the state continues a struggling recovery from the “great recession” — with an unemployment rate fluctuating 1-2 percentage points above the national average — recent reports released from California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA) find that low-income Californians don’t take nearly enough advantage of federal support programs, like food stamps and other benefits available to eligible residents, and Alameda County’s numbers are even worse.

CFPA, an independent policy and advocacy group founded in 1992, has several initiatives aimed at improving the health and well-being of low-income Californians. Perhaps most notably is their work on CalFresh enrollment, which they monitor through their annual Program Access Index (PAI) and Lost Dollars, Empty Plates reports.

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